Main menu

Amtrak train derails in southwest Nebraska; 12 injured

by Dennis Kellogg

Listen to this story:

Dennis Kellogg

August 25, 2011 - 7:00pm

An Amtrak train on its way from San Francisco to Chicago derailed in rural southwest Nebraska on Friday morning, sending 12 people to hospitals in Benkelman and Imperial, Neb., and Wray, Colo. The injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The California Zephyr apparently collided with a piece of equipment that was on the tracks, derailing two locomotives and three passenger cars. The uninjured passengers boarded private buses to complete the trip to Chicago. NET News Director Dennis Kellogg talked with Jason Frederick, the owner of the Benkelman Post newspaper, who was among the first to arrive on the scene.